STORY: "From Pune Porsche crash to Kolkata rape and murder case: Crimes that stunned India in 2024, by Reporter Shrishti Bisht. published by Financial Express, on December 21, 2024.
GIST: "It was past midnight when two IT professionals, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, were returning home on a bike after a Sunday night outing. A speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old under the influence of alcohol, rammed into them, killing them on the spot. What began as a fatal accident soon spiraled into nationwide outrage due to allegations of preferential treatment and a lenient judicial response.
Within 24 hours of his arrest, the Juvenile Justice Board granted the accused minor bail on controversial conditions: working with the Yerwada police for 15 days, writing a 300-word essay on road safety, undergoing treatment for his drinking habit, and attending counseling sessions. This leniency, despite the gravity of the incident, drew sharp criticism from the public. The controversy deepened as reports surfaced that the accused, the son of a prominent builder, received undue favors. His father allegedly brought Maharashtra MLA Sunil Tingre to the police station, delaying the blood alcohol test.
Furthermore, the juvenile’s grandfather was accused of abducting the car’s driver and coercing him to take the blame for the accident. Amid public anger, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the issue on 20 May 2024, meeting with police officials and expressing “shock and surprise” at the board’s decision. He instructed the police to file a review petition seeking to try the minor as an adult. A second FIR was also filed under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
KOLKATA RG KAR COLLEGE RAPE AND MURDER:
The gruesome Kolkata rape and murder on August 9, 2024, left the entire nation in shock and deeply affected not only doctors but women everywhere who strive to live independent lives. The victim, a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, was brutally raped and murdered in a college building, with her body found in a seminar room. The following day, a 33-year-old male civic volunteer working with the Kolkata police was arrested under suspicion of the crime. However, just three days later, the Calcutta High Court took the step of transferring the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), expressing a lack of confidence in the Kolkata police’s handling of the case.
In response to the tragedy, junior doctors in West Bengal went on strike for 42 days, demanding a comprehensive investigation and better security in hospitals. Protests from doctors across the country followed in solidarity. The brutal incident sparked widespread discussions on the safety of women and healthcare professionals in India, leading to both national and international outrage. Despite the public outcry, the CBI’s failure to file a chargesheet on time resulted in two key suspects being granted bail. The victim’s parents, still fighting for justice, have now turned to the Calcutta High Court, seeking a fresh investigation into their daughter’s rape and murder case.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL:
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;